A Childhood Lost
by KaibaGirl17
Summary: This story follows Vegeta's life from age five when he was taken from his father to his years on Frieza's ship and the friendly bond he shares with Raditz.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Well, here's some more Vegeta angst. I promise each Chapter will be twice as long as the one that proceeds it. I really hope you guys like it and any flames at all will be cheerfully ignored.

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of the characters, Akira Toriyama does.

...

King Vegeta watched as Frieza's ship slowly appeared in the sky. He knew Frieza was coming to speak to him about a planet that the Saiyans were supposed to have occupied by today. Luckily, the planet had been successfully taken over as of last night.

It would be very odd for him to say it, but in a weird sort of way, King Vegeta was actually looking forward to attending the meeting on Frieza's ship today. However, the Saiyan king did have a good reason for it. And that reason was his son. King Vegeta had only one child, a five-year-old boy named Vegeta, after his father. And the little prince was on Frieza's ship.

King Vegeta wished that it had never happened, but last year, when his son had been only four years old, Frieza had given the Saiyan king an ultimatum: he could either let Frieza take the child on his ship to train him and raise him as a soldier, or Frieza would torture and kill the boy. King Vegeta didn't want anything to happen to his son, so he had had no choice but to give the prince up.

The Saiyan ruler hated that Frieza now had to his son. But the one good thing about the whole thing was the fact that he would get to see his son whenever he had a meeting with Frieza. He would attend the meeting and then the second the meeting was over, he would be allowed to see Prince Vegeta. The downside though was that they could only spend a single hour together. No longer than a mere hour.

There was no denying it; Frieza had finally found King Vegeta's one weakness: his son and now he was using the child against his father. He could see that King Vegeta loved the boy. He had spent any and all free time that he had had with Vegeta and only him. Little Vegeta was his pride and joy and the only family that King Vegeta had left. He had tried so hard to keep his son safe from Frieza…And yet he had still lost the small child to the tyrant!

At the time his son had been taken away, King Vegeta had felt so much anger and guilt that he had actually considered killing the boy himself to spare the young prince the suffering and torture that he was bound to endure some point. But he couldn't do that to his son. If he had, he would have had to live with the fact that it had been him, not Frieza, who had killed his young son. And he would have to carry that for the rest of his life.

He still carried the anger and guilt. Anger that was shot straight at Frieza for taking his son away from him and guilt for putting little Vegeta through all of this. But now, at this very moment, he also carried a small sense of excitement. After all, he hadn't seen his son in almost three months. He had missed Vegeta very much and now he would get to see him again.

...

About two hours passed before King Vegeta was able to leave the meeting. Unfortunately, on the way out, the Saiyan king ran into Frieza.

"Now remember Vegeta, you can go and check on your precious little princeling, but you are not to exceed the given hour," Frieza warned. "Or there will be dire retribution. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Lord Frieza," King Vegeta replied.

Frieza turned and walked away as King Vegeta walked into what was supposed to be his son's room.

The small prince lay sleeping peacefully in a small bed with a dark blue blanket that he had pulled up to his chin and his head on the pillow.

The room was silent, save for the sound of Vegeta's soft, slow, even breathing.

King Vegeta sighed, walked over, sat beside the bed, and placed a hand on his son's head and ran it through the boy's spiky, black hair.

A second later, Vegeta yawned and opened his eyes slowly.

"...Daddy?" the little boy whispered, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

King Vegeta nodded.

Vegeta's onyx eyes began to water.

"Daddy…Is it really you?" he asked, desperate to know if this was a dream or not. Eager to confirm if what he was seeing was really right in front of him or not.

"Yes, Vegeta," his father answered. "It's me."

"Daddy!" the little boy exclaimed, diving into his father's arms. "It's you! I can't believe it's really you! It's you! It's really you!"

"It's okay, Vegeta, it's okay," King Vegeta aid, holding the small boy close to him and stroking his tail.

Vegeta buried his face in his father's chest and continued to cry. He always felt scared and uneasy being here on Frieza's ship, but now he felt safe with his father.

"I've missed you, Daddy," the four-year-old prince said, looking up at his father.

"I've missed you too, Vegeta," his father said, continuing to stroke his son's tail.

Vegeta snuggled closer to his father and purred softly, feeling warm and safe.

At that moment, the guilt that King Vegeta felt only increased with each second held his son. How could he have ever given his son over to a bloodthirsty monster who loved to see torture and pain, even in small children? How could he just sit here now and pretend that everything was okay? But he couldn't tell his son. The truth would terrify him! King Vegeta wanted to tell Frieza he had changed his mind and leave with his son.

But he knew he couldn't do that. If he even attempted to do something even remotely close to that, Frieza would take his son and kill him for sure. King Vegeta was stuck. But at least the Saiyan king would have this time with his son.

Vegeta yawned, pulling his father out of his thoughts.

King Vegeta looked down at the little boy in his arms and he couldn't help but smile slightly when he saw his small child staring up at him with wide, obsidian eyes filled with pleading and joy. It made King Vegeta feel a little better that even though he had sent his son and only child to the ship of a cold, heartless tyrant, the young prince still loved his father and depended on the Saiyan king to keep him safe from harm.

And yet, though it was a good thing, a second later it made King Vegeta feel even guiltier as he had failed to keep his son safe.

With another soft yawn, little Vegeta snuggled against his father's chest and fell asleep, smiling and purring softly. But King Vegeta knew that he was only doing so because he had no idea of the pain and misery that lay ahead for him on the ship

The Saiyan king stared down at the sleeping child in his arms. It would be so easy to just deliver a quick and painless death…just one snap of the child's neck and he wouldn't suffer anymore….

NO!

King Vegeta pulled back, unable to believe what he had almost done. How could he have even thought of such a thing? How could he, for a single moment, even comprehend the thought of killing his little son? The boy was his son!

"I can't do it," he told himself, his hands balled into fists. "Damn it, I can't do it."

"Daddy…"

The Saiyan monarch looked down to see his child staring up at him, his eyes tired but curious.

"Vegeta," he didn't know what to say.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" little Vegeta asked.

"Nothing," his father answered a little too quickly. "Nothing's wrong. Just…just go back to sleep."

"Okay, Daddy," Vegeta said, yawning and curling up into a ball once again.

That's when King Vegeta made his mind up that no matter what it took; he would find a way to get his son back home safely.

...

...

So, how was it? Let me know, guys. But if you're only here to flame, then please feel free to exit the fanfic and don't let your computer freeze as your exiting this page.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here is chapter 2. I extend my thanks to Cara2012, Sessho's Gal, Majeh-Super Sorian, and PhanIsMyB**** for the reviews on chapter 1. I hope you enjoy this update.

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or any of the characters, Akira Toriyama does.

...

Vegeta sat in his bedroom on Frieza's ship. He had just seen his father the day before and he was still thinking of the wonderful hour he had spent with his father. It had actually made the day halfway bearable.

Just one hour before his father's visit, Vegeta had been tormented by Frieza's lackeys, Zarbon and Dodoria. Whenever the two came across the young Saiyan prince, they always would double-team him. They would taunt him and mock him for his Saiyan heritage.

At first, it seemed that that was all they would do. But then, they started to get worse. They soon escalated to physically abusing little Vegeta. Sometimes they would beat him merely to let off some steam. Sometimes something went wrong on a mission and Frieza would yell at them. Sometimes they didn't get a mission they wanted. And sometimes they just beat him just so they could beat him. The beatings were just sport for them.

(Flashback)

Vegeta could barely suppress a whimper of pain as he was thrown cruelly to the cold, metallic floor. The floor covered by his blood.

"Looks like we were a little messy with you," Dodoria smirked.

Vegeta coughed up a mouthful of blood in reply.

"You little brat, how dare you! You got blood all over my nice clean armor!" Zarbon snarled, delivering a lightning-fast kick to the prince's already bruised abdomen.

"Please…" Vegeta called out weakly. "Please…it…it hurts…"

"I just love it when he begs," Zarbon stated, delighting in the child's pain.

"It shows just how weak he is," Dodoria agreed.

"Oh come now, little prince, what would your father say if he could see you behaving this way?" Zarbon sneered. "It's quite unbecoming if you ask me."

"I…didn't…ask…you…_kisama_…" Vegeta spat.

Zarbon's teal face flushed with rage.

"YOU FILTHY APE!" the green-haired changeling screeched before burying his fist in Vegeta's stomach. "HOW DARE YOU ADDRESS YOUR SUPERIOR IN SUCH A MANNER!"

Vegeta's vision blurred and the boy barely had time to cry out in pain before everything faded to black...

(Flashback ends)

Vegeta wanted to tell his father, but two things prevented him from doing that. First off, it would worry King Vegeta and he might do something rash. If that were to happen, not only would the Saiyan king most likely get in trouble, but Vegeta himself would also have to answer to Frieza as well. Not to mention, he would also answer to Zarbon and Dodoria who had threatened to do worse to him if he said anything about the beatings.

Vegeta didn't know what to do. He was stuck either way and he was alone. Completely and utterly alone.

...

"King Vegeta!"

King Vegeta turned to see his right hand man, Zorn coming toward him.

"Tell me that the rumors aren't true," the Saiyan warrior said, a slightly fearful expression on his face.

"What rumors?" King Vegeta inquired.

"There are rumors going around that you gave your son to Frieza," Zorn informed his king. "But they have to be lies. Tell me that they're lies!"

King Vegeta sighed and shook his head.

"I'm afraid they are," the Saiyan king said. "They're not lies."

"How could you do that to your own son?" Zorn asked, looking shocked. "Does the prince mean that little to you?"

King Vegeta glared at his advisor.

"Do you honestly think I like the idea of having to give my only child to that lizard?" he growled.

Zorn didn't reply.

"Well, what's the point of anything if I can't even keep my only son?" the Saiyan king demanded. "Why should I care about anything at all if he can't live and I can't see him grow? Tell me, Zorn."

Zorn remained silent.

"Besides, I plan to get him back as soon as I can," King Vegeta told his advisor. "I refuse to let that tyrant keep my son."

Zorn looked pleased. He should have known the king wouldn't leave his son to the Ice-Jin's mercy. For all of his ruthlessness and thirst for battle, the Saiyan king did in fact have a place in his heart for the tiny Saiyan prince.

...

Vegeta stared out the window of his room, gazing out at the thousands upon thousands of stars in space. The little prince wanted to go home. He wanted to be away from this ship and back with his father. But he knew he would only be allowed to go back home in a year. But until then, he was stuck here on the Ice-Jin's ship.

He hated it here, he just wanted to go home so he could be with his father again.

Nearly everything on the ship scared him and he hated that. He hated the cold ship, he hated Frieza's men who loved beating him purely for sport. It wasn't fair that he had been taken away from his father and placed into the care of a monster. It wasn't fair that he had been grabbed away from his home and practically imprisoned on this cold, dark, metallic ship. None of it was fair, but it was all his life now.

Little Vegeta hoped that his father would come for him soon. All he ever had to look forward to was his father's occasional visits to the ship. It wasn't much, but at least he still got to see his father. He just wished that there was someone there with him.

The small prince was completely defenseless against Frieza's soldiers. He was strong, even by Saiyan standards, for a child. But he was still just that, a child.

But Vegeta managed to console himself with the memory of his father's words. The Saiyan king had promised to come for him as soon as he possibly could. He had never broken a promise to little Vegeta vefore so the prince just new that his father would take him home and then he would once again be safe.

...

...

And now comes the part where I hope you, the readers, will do me the honor of leaving your thoughts on this update. However, I refuse to acknowledge any flames.


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